Navigation systems on mobile devices, such as mobile telephones with mapping applications, are becoming commonplace. One problem with utilizing such systems indoors is detecting a user's walking direction. In outdoor environments, one can use a Global Positioning System (“GPS”) to detect a walking direction. However, GPS signals are typically unavailable in an indoor environment.
Various communication technologies can be implemented for utilizing indoor navigation systems. One technology is a dead reckoning technique, such as attaching inertial sensors on a user's body. However, this technique is not appropriate for indoor navigation in instances when the user needs to hold the mobile device to view a map. Other indoor communication technologies include, for example, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies. However, these technologies require large up-front setup costs and, often times, laborious site surveys in order to implement an indoor navigation system.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such approaches with some aspects of the present method and apparatus set forth in the remainder of this disclosure with reference to the drawings.